Feathering paddle-wheel.



O. E. THOMPSON.

FEATHERING PADDLE WHEEL.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 2. 1915 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

WITNESSES: l/Vl/E/VTUI? Oscar Z. 772 0272 0022 an w m [Z7 /& A TTORNEY Patented May 8,1917.

OSCAR E. THOMPSON, OF 1IADLOCK,1V.A.SHINGTON.

FEATHERING PADDLE-WHEEL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 8, 191?.

Application filed November 2, 1915. Serial No. 59,191.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Osoan E. THOMPSON, a citizen of the United States, residing at I'Iadlock, in the county of Jefferson and State of ll ashington, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Feathering PaddledVheels, of which the following is a specification.

T his invention relates to paddle-wheels for the propulsion of marine vessels; and its object is to provide a wheel of this character having its paddle blades which are pivotally connected to the wheel structure influenced by improved means to maintain the same in substantially vertical planes during their operation in the water.

With these ends in view the invention consists, more especially, in the devices for regulating the relative position of the paddle blades in their revoluble travel about the axis of the wheel. The invention further consists in the novel construction, adaptation and combination of parts as will be hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a view partly in horizontal section and partly in plan of a portion of a paddlewheel embodying the present invention. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the wheel with the shaft therefor shown in section, said section being taken on broken line 22 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 1s a detail perspective view to illustrate the manner of connecting a paddle to a wheel-spoke. Fig. 4 is an end elevational view of the paddle controlling cam. Fig. 5 is a fragmentary sectional view of the cam and a paddle connecting rod with the associated roller.

In said drawings 10 represents the shaft of a paddle-wheel provided with a crank 11 and journaled in bearing boxes, such as 12, which is secured to the framework of the vessel.

Keyed or are spiders, cesses to receive otherwise secured to said shaft such as 13, provided with rethe inner ends of radially disposed spokes 14 whose outer ends are rigidly secured to a ring 15. Secured to each of the spokes 14 is a bearing box 16 for a pintle 17 extending from afianged plate 18 (Figs. 1 and 3) to which an end of a paddle or blade 19 is rigidly fastened by bolts or rivets 20. A crank 21 is fixedly secured to a pintle 17 of each of said paddles. 22 represents a cam disposed eccentrically of the wheel axis and is provided with flanges 23 and extending laterally from the cam web member and positioned respectively at the periphery and at a distance between the latter and the axis of the cam.

In the opposing faces of the cam flanges are recesses 23 and 24 which serve as guide ways for rollers 26 which are carried by the ends of connecting rods whose other ends are respectively connected with the paddle cranks 21. The preferred manner of con necting a roller to a connecting rod is illustrated in Fig. 5, wherein the roller is shown as mounted upon a pivotal pin 28 and between a collar 29 thereof and a washer 30 which is interposed between a shoulder 28 of the pin and the connecting rod. The reduced end 28 of said pin is screw threaded for engagement in a threaded hole of the rod 27 and also in a jam nut 31 whereby the pin is reliably secured against withdrawal from the rod.

Said pin is provided with a chamber 32 for the reception of a lubricant which is admitted to the wheel journal through ducts 32 33 represents a cap detachably connected to the end of the pin so as to enable the attendant to supply the lubricant to such chamber, and to such end an aperture 34 is provided in the cam web number 25 through which access is had to the various pins as they are successively presented to the aperture and prior to the operation of the wheel. This aperture 34 is made of suflicient size for the passage therethrough of a. roller as when assembling the parts or for the purpose of replacing a broken or worn roller. The cam is formed with an apertured lug 22 to receive an end of a tie-bar 36 whose other arm is secured to a bracket 37 which, in turn, is rigidly secured to the framework of the vessel. The ends of the bar 36 are screw threaded to receive nuts 38 to regulate the eifective length of the bar to ad justably secure the cam in selected rotary positions to accommodate the desired movements of the various paddles.

Attachments 39 are provided on the spokes 14 in proximity to the spider 13 to. serve as guides for the connecting rods 27.

40 represents an eccentric such as usually employed on paddle wheel shafts and has a strap 41 which is connected by a rod 42 with the valve gear of the wheel driving engine which are not shown in the drawings.

In operation the rotation of the wheel rev olubly carries the rollers 26 in the channel between the cam flanges 23 and 24: whereby the rollers will be caused by the latter to move radially in and out from the axis of the wheel shaft 10 and being thus efiected will impart end-wise movements to the respective rods 27. The cranks 21 are thereby influenced so that the associated paddles 19 will, in turn, be progressively moved to occupy the relative positions substantially as indicated in Fig. 2 and whereby the paddles when in the water will be held in approximately vertical planes.

What I claim, is

1. A paddle-wheel, comprising in its construction spokes, paddles provided with pintles whereby the paddles are pivotally connected to the spokes, a crank on each of said pintles, a cam formed with a web memher and two spaced flanges extending laterally therefrom, said web member being provided with an opening between said flanges, a series of rollers operable against the opposing surfaces of said flanges and adapted to be introduced or removed through said openings, rods connecting said rollers with the respective cranks, and means provided on the spokes and serving to direct the rods whereby the rollers are caused to revolve with the wheel to effect the tilting movements of the various paddles through the agency of said cam flanges.

2. A paddle-wheel, comprising in its construction, spokes, paddles pivotally connected to said spokes, a cam formed with a web member and two spaced flanges eX- tending laterally therefrom, said web memher being provided with an opening intermediate said flanges, a series of rollers operable against the opposing surfaces of-the cam flanges and adapted to be introduced or removed through said opening, a pin serving for the axle of each of said rollers, said pins being provided with chambers serving for lubricant receptacles communicating with the journal bearings for the respective rollers, and operative connections between the respective rollers and said paddles whereby the latter are tilted through the instrumentality of said cam to occupy substantially upright positions as they are revolubly carried through the water. 1

Signed at Seattle, Wash, this 12th day of October, 1915.

OSCAR E. THOMPSON.

Witnesses PIERRE BARNES, E. PETERSON.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner oi. Patents. Washington, .D. C. 

